“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
Job 19:25-27 (NIV)
As we get ready to examine Micah’s great declaration of hope in the LORD in the midst of misery and family division prophesied in Micah 7:7, it will be good for us to consider for a moment- the oldest recorded emphatic declaration of hope in the LORD issued by a true worshipper in
abject misery.
abject misery.
Job’s statement in chapter 19 of what he knows, is an amazing declaration of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. We might wonder how someone could hope in Christ Jesus before our Lord was even born, and that wonder should lead us to worship a God above time, who only had 1 plan to save His people, and revealed that plan to prophets and worshippers in small glimpses thousands of years before our Lord was born in Bethlehem.
Job knows – his redeemer lives - to know that someone has paid the price for your sin and that your redeemer is alive – now that is hope!
Job knows – at the end he will stand on the earth – to know that there is an end to life as all humans to date have experienced it, and that when that end comes our Redeemer will stand on the earth (notice the word earth, not a cloud or heaven, but the earth) – now that is hope!
Job knows - after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God – that his body will be destroyed by death, and yet he knows that he will see God within his body, with his own eyes - the glorious truth of resurrection- now that is hope!
Job knows - I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another – to believe the doctrine of the resurrection is encouraging and brings hope BUT to know personally, that you will be welcomed by God, that you will be able to gaze upon His beauty and holiness is to have a wonderful assurance of your own salvation and standing with God - now that is hope!
Job knows - How my heart yearns within me! –We can fool others about our inner desires- but I hope we work hard at identifying what our heart longs for. Our final destination will be wherever our desires rest.
Do I long for the day I gaze on my Redeemer Christ Jesus?
Do I long for that day when the world as we know it will come to an end?
Do I long for the day when I will have a heavenly body instead of the earthly one I have now?
– now that is hope!
No comments:
Post a Comment